‘Coco’ sings with a deep respect for Mexican culture: Director Lee Unkrich discusses how to tell heavy stories to kids

Disney-Pixar’s “Coco” from director Lee Unkrich is a heartwarming tale dealing with dreams, family and death. The movie, which explores elements of Mexican culture, is vying for the best animated feature and best song awards at the upcoming Oscars on March 4th. [WALT DISNEY COMPANY KOREA]

Disney-Pixar’s exploration of Mexican culture has stolen the hearts of audiences around the world. Following its win of the Golden Globe for best animated feature film, the movie is vying for the best animated feature and best song awards at the upcoming Oscars on March 4th.

The heartwarming tale set in the backdrop of Dia de Muertos, or Day of the Dead, when Mexicans display photos of their departed loved ones to remember those who have passed away and to invite their spirits to visit the living, has sold 2.7 million tickets in Korea as of Tuesday, and the film topped the North American box office for three weeks straight.

Coming from the director behind the second and third “Toy Story” films and “Monsters, Inc.,” Lee Unkrich, “Coco” combines top-notch storytelling with beautiful visual elements. In an email interview with the JoongAng Ilbo, an affiliate of the Korea JoongAng Daily, Unkrich described the multi-year process of making the film.

Q. After “Sanjay’s Super Team,” a story revolving around an Indian boy, released two years ago, Pixar has again turned to a different culture. What was the reason behind wanting to explore Mexican culture?

A. Every movie we’ve ever made has sprung form the imagination of the director. Some directors have told very personal stories, while others have been inspired by things outside their own experience. In the case of “Sanjay’s Super Team,” Sanjay was telling a very personal story about his childhood, and Pixar supported him in telling that story.

In the case of “Coco,” although the Mexican culture represented did not reflect my own upbringing, I was nevertheless fascinated by the Dia de Muertos traditions and wanted to explore them. In the course of our research, I discovered aspects of the holiday - like the love of family - that I was convinced would be relatable to people all around the world.

You have worked at Pixar since 1994. What do you love so much about Pixar’s films, and what is the most rewarding thing about working for Pixar Animation Studios?

The thing that I find most rewarding about working at Pixar is the knowledge that the films we create will be seen all over the world, by many different cultures. It is also great knowing that the stories we tell will continue to be around long into the future - they will outlive me. I also feel incredibly lucky to be able to work alongside so many incredibly talented people. I am humbled by the level of talent at Pixar.

“Coco” revolves around a Mexican boy named Miguel who comes from a big family. Do you come from a big family?

I come from a relatively small family. I’m an only child, and didn’t grow up with many cousins. I did, however, have many strong women in my family who collectively raised me.

Were there any special moments you had in Mexico when you visited the country for research?

All of the research that we did in Mexico was incredible, but the most special experiences were the time we spent with the many lovely families who welcomed us into their homes and shared their traditions with us. I think most of the families didn’t quite know what we were up to, but they were nevertheless quite happy that we showed such interest in Dia de Muertos.

These families fed us and told us stories, and laughed with us. They proudly shared their family businesses with us, and also walked us to the town centers to show us their cleaned and decorated family cemetery plots.

Most of the families were multi-generational. Kids, parents, grandparents and often great-grandparents all living together under one roof and sharing the collective responsibilities of raising the children. It was beautiful to observe, and many of the experiences we had were woven into the fabric of “Coco.”

“Coco” deals with death in a way that can be understood from a kid’s point of view. It also delivers the message that how an individual achieves one’s dream is more important than just blindly pursuing a goal, both of which aren’t easy topics to discuss with kids. Have you ever talked about these topics with your family?

My own children are older - they’re 20, 18 and 13 - so their reaction to the film was very different than it would have been had they been quite young. They enjoyed it, but I don’t know that it sparked any deep philosophical discussions among them.

My father passed away not long after Coco was released into the world. I think that having made Coco has cemented for me the importance of always remembering him and making sure that his stories are passed along to my own children, and someday, hopefully, their children.

You dealt with fear in “Monsters, Inc.,” parting in “Toy Story 3” and death in “Coco,” all of which are heavy but important parts of children’s lives. Pixar is known for giving freedom to directors to make films that suit their taste. What triggers your interest in these heavy topics?

I think that as I get older, along with my fellow filmmakers at Pixar, I’ve become more circumspect about life and the human condition. The things that I think about and which concern me have a way of making their way into the stories that I choose to tell.

Our goal is always to make entertaining films, but I think that if a movie can also make you think about your own life, and what kind of a person you choose to be, that’s a real bonus.

What’s your favorite line or scene from “Coco” and why?

I love the entire film, but if I were forced to single out one scene, it would probably be the scene where we see Miguel up in his attic, practicing guitar while watching old De la Cruz movies. I love how it expresses Miguel’s passion for music without him having to talk about it. We see it, and we deeply feel it.